Montreal Joins Brisbane, Berlin, Thessaloniki, New York and Ho Chi Minh in the Prestigious Time Out’s Coolest Streets 2025: DISCOVER the World’s Best City Walks

Published on November 22, 2025

The annual Time Out ranking has delivered a stunning verdict. It bypassed the usual tourist traps and focused on the true heart of global cities. It celebrated the authentic, vibrant backstreets where real local life happens. Six streets, spanning four continents, stand out. They are not just thoroughfares; they are cultural capsules. These street segments tell the complete story of their respective cities. They reveal powerful themes of renaissance, cultural collision and grit that underpin the definition of “cool” in 2025. Montreal, Brisbane, Berlin, Thessaloniki, New York and Ho Chi Minh now share a spotlight that defines global urban excellence.

The Secret Formula: Historic Bones Meet Hipster Energy

What makes a street truly cool right now? The answer is nuanced. It requires history, but history must meet modern, independent creativity. These streets avoid generic chain stores. They prioritize a community spirit where an old-school grocer can thrive next door to a new, niche cocktail bar. Time Out’s global network of local editors nominated the streets that best encapsulate their city’s best self. The final selection was judged on food, drink, culture, fun and community spirit. It resulted in a list of powerful urban statements.

Montreal’s Golden Artery: Sherbrooke Street West

Montreal’s Sherbrooke Street West is the highest-ranked North American entry, landing at a stellar fifth place. It proves that cool can be quiet, even when it is iconic. Sherbrooke is not the chaotic party street many expect from Montreal. It is a study in comfortable, curated elegance. The western end, located in the historic Golden Square Mile, is the section that truly shines. This street is an architectural treasure trove. It is home to cultural giants like the McCord Stewart Museum and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. These institutions lend it a high-culture gravitas.

The street effortlessly balances this rich history with a forward-looking, contemporary edge. Newly renovated luxury hotels sit near century-old classics like The Ritz-Carlton, which still serves one of the city’s finest afternoon teas. This is an artery for academic and literary life; it is a stone’s throw from major universities and hosts the Blue Metropolis Festival. You can spend an afternoon browsing second-hand treasures at Phoenix Books. Later, you can grab a plate of gorgonzola gnocchi at Il Cortile. Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal is the ultimate expression of sophisticated, quiet Canadian cool.

Brisbane’s Industrial-Chic Powerhouse: Montague Road

Montague Road in Brisbane claims the title of Australia’s coolest street at number six. This achievement is a testament to Brisbane‘s dramatic urban evolution. Montague Road was once a sleepy, industrial strip sitting along the river. Now, it serves as the creative backbone of the city’s eclectic West End neighborhood. Its transformation is defined by culture and reinvention.

The street is anchored by two major performing arts companies. At one end sits the beautifully restored Thomas Dixon Centre, home to the Queensland Ballet. At the other, the Queensland Theatre Company draws significant crowds. The spaces between these institutions buzz with boutique shops, innovative cafes and a genuine, free-spirited community feel. This strip has masterfully transitioned its industrial heritage into an appealing, high-energy, industrial-chic aesthetic. For locals and visitors, Montague Road in Brisbane is the essential walk to capture the city’s artistic, creative boom.

Berlin’s Gritty, Glamorous Borderline: Maybachufer

Berlin’s Maybachufer is a microcosm of the city’s identity. It sits at the geographical and cultural border of the Neukölln and Kreuzberg districts. The Maybachufer stretch is a vibrant, canalside area that has successfully traded its 19th-century industrial vibe for a 21st-century communal atmosphere. It is the seventh coolest street in the world.

The atmosphere is dominated by the Neuköllner Wochenmarkt, affectionately known as the Turkish Market. This market is a pulsating event that takes place every Tuesday and Friday. Traders shout deals over hot börek and fragrant herbs. This marketplace exemplifies Berlin’s deep multicultural composition. The Turkish influence is undeniable, tracing back decades of immigration. Alongside this established community hub, you find modern elements: grassy spots for canal-side picnics, vegan donuts from Brammibal’s and friends clinking glasses at places like Akerklause Bridge Bar. Maybachufer in Berlin is not polished; it is real. It is a powerful cultural melting pot that perfectly illustrates the city’s gritty authenticity.

Thessaloniki’s Ancient-Meets-Indie Mix: Olympou Street

Landing at number eight, Olympou Street in Thessaloniki, Greece, offers a fascinating blend of ancient history and student-driven, youthful dynamism. This street is just steps from the university quarter. Its stately buildings and historic elegance conceal quirky, independent energy. It is an explanatory experience of the city’s laid-back atmosphere and outstanding food scene.

By day, you browse vintage shops and art spaces. To Pikap is a must-visit: it operates as a hybrid coffee bar, independent record label and exhibition space all at once. When evening arrives, the street transforms. Outdoor tavernas, like Kits kai S’ Efaga, line the sidewalks. Conversation buzzes over craft beer at places like Valitsa. This area manages to honor the centuries-old elegance of Thessaloniki while injecting it with the free, creative spirit of its young residents. The mix of heritage and contemporary cool is perfectly balanced.

New York’s Gritty-Glam Renaissance: Orchard Street

New York is a city of constant change. Orchard Street, number nine on the list, proves that the Lower East Side (LES) retains its unique, essential grit amidst massive transformation. Orchard Street embodies the LES’s complex journey from a notoriously tough tenement district to a trendy nexus of fashion, art and food.

Its historic significance is preserved by the Tenement Museum, a critical site that honors the stories of countless immigrants who once lived there. Today, the street successfully marries this past with the present. High-end cocktail bars like Bar Contra share space with cult-favorite eateries like Scarr’s Pizza. The unique charm of Orchard Street is that it never fully sacrifices its raw, authentic New York edge. The seasonal Open Streets program turns it into a pedestrian mall, drawing crowds for its unique shops and dining options. Orchard Street in New York is a masterclass in controlled chaos and enduring neighborhood identity.

Ho Chi Minh’s Electric Seafood Heaven: Vĩnh Khánh Street

Vĩnh Khánh Street in Ho Chi Minh City closes out the top ten. It is a spectacular example of cultural reinvention focused entirely on food and community. Located in District 4, an area once considered notorious, Vĩnh Khánh is now officially designated a food street. It is the defining, kilometer-long thoroughfare of its water-bound district.

The street is absolutely packed from sunset until the early hours of the morning. Dozens of seafood grills line both sides of the road. The street is a sensory overload of sizzling woks, clinking glasses and the fragrant aroma of grilled mollusks. The competition between vendors is fierce and thrilling. Dining here is a full immersion experience: street sellers offer pre-dinner snacks, buskers perform and the whole street is soundtracked by clattering woks and kerbside karaoke. Specialist restaurants like Ốc Oanh have even earned international recognition, cementing the street’s culinary reputation. The nightlife on Vĩnh Khánh Street in Ho Chi Minh is raw, lively and truly unforgettable.

The Global Urban Blueprint for Tomorrow

The selection of these streets provides a powerful analytical report on the future of urban cool. From Montreal’s cozy-chic elegance to Ho Chi Minh’s vibrant street food scene, a pattern emerges. The coolest places on Earth are those that resist the bland uniformity of globalization. They successfully fuse a deeply rooted local culture—be it the Turkish Market in Berlin, the indigenous trail of Sherbrooke Street, or the immigrant history of Orchard Street in New York—with a cutting-edge creative and culinary scene. Cities like Brisbane and Thessaloniki are proving that cultural and historical anchors, whether a former industrial site or ancient ruins, are essential launchpads for modern vitality. This list is a call to action for travelers: stop looking at the famous landmarks and start walking the streets that truly capture the contemporary soul of the world’s greatest cities.